HER BURDEN

Vera was the first daughter in her family, she had two brothers whom she was a few years older than. Her brothers liked to play football but she liked books. Her parents were so proud of her, they were happy with the way she always carried her books and the way she loved school.

It was not easy for them, but anytime Vera came home with good results, they forget about their problems for a moment.

When Vera finished secondary school, her parents were so happy and told her that she must go to the university. Her mother stopped buying small things for herself to save the money, her father worked extra hard. They did not complain, it was for their daughter’s future.

Vera also worked hard, she stayed up late reading with the almost burnt-out lamp, she promised herself and her parents that she would pass. Her family had sacrificed too much for her.

The day she went to write her exam, her parents woke up early and they prayed together. Her mother walked her to the bus, passing word of encouragement to her.

Vera was scared of going to the exam hall and not knowing what to write. But even with that, she still went. When she came back home, her parents gave her a happy welcome.

“How was the exam?”

“It was fine.” Was all she could say, she was not sure of what she wrote.

Few weeks later, the results came out, she borrowed her friend’s phone to check online. She checked the admission list, again and again.

“There has to be a mistake.” She checked again, but this was no mistake. Her name was not there. She tried again and again, still nothing.

She cried. What would she tell her parents? If they knew she failed after everything they did for her, what was going to happen.

That night, during dinner. She did not eat, her parents kept asking if she’d checked over and over again and she had no idea what to say to them.

“Vera, did you check?” Her mother asked, her mother was looking at her with so much expectation, she swallowed her words.

“Yes. I got admission” Her mother shouted with joy. She danced around and sang with her brothers.

Her mother told her neighbors and friends about it. People came to congratulate her, teasing her about being a university girl. What was going to happen if they found out it was a lie. Her parents gathered their money to buy her a phone and some new clothes.

Vera started to prepare, she packed her bag. Her mother cried while folding her clothes, wishing her goodbye. As she sat in the bus, she cried silently. She was not going to school, she wanted to hide.

When she got to the city, she rented a tiny apartment for just a few month. She bought a mat and a small stove. She told her parents it was her hostel.

“How are your classes?” They would always ask. They would ask about her day, her health and her food. She tried to stay positive.

But she was not fine. She had used half of her money to rent the house, she tried to find work, but city life was hard. Some days she ate once and some days, she doesn’t eat at all.

Her parents started asking more questions.

“What is the name of your course adviser?”

“When are you writing your exams”

“Send a picture of your hostel. What about your friends?” But she always gave excuses.

“I’m too busy. My phone camera is bad.” But it was only a matter of time before they found out.

One Saturday, she accidentally met with her father’s old friend, Mario who happened to be staying in the city.

“Vera. Your father told me you are already going to school. This is a far way from school.”

“I came to see a friend.” She lied, she knew he was going to tell her father. She had to lie.

That night, he called her father.

“Ben, I don’t know how to say this but I saw Vera today. She was in a small house in the middle city, I’ve seen her there a couple of times already. She looked so thin and tired. Something is wrong.”

“What are you saying? My daughter is in school. Are you saying she lied to us?”

“I don’t know, Ben. You should come and see for yourself”

The next day, her parents went to the city. They followed Mario to the place he saw Vera at. Vera was shocked when she saw her parents.

“Vera? What is this place? You should be in school. Why are you looking like this…”

“Vera, why?”

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. I didn’t get admission. I didn’t want to tell you guys because you guys worked so hard to get me to write the exams. You suffered a lot because of me. So…” she cried. “I lied. I’m really sorry.”

“You lied to us for almost a year?” her mother questioned.

“I wanted to tell you, I wanted to…but I thought that if you knew, you would never forgive me. I was a failure. I lied because, I just wanted you to be happy.”

“You are our child, you can never be a disappointment. You hear me? Never”

“But I wasted your money, and everything. You suffered because of me.”

Her mother took her hand as she cried. “We suffered, yes but we would rather suffer a hundred times than see you suffer like this alone.”

Vera hugged her mother tight. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry”

She went back home and she studied harder. She was going to take the exam again.

This time, Vera studied harder. And she made it. This time, when she packed her bag to school, it was for real. And though things were still hard, she knew she would never lie to her parents again.

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